Transformed – teen devotion – April 14, 2024

One truth shared: Jesus is the Savior of all people from all sins.

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 1:5 – 2:2

A Savior for All

Trey and Tyler had become good friends over time. They had been working together, flipping fries side-by-side, for almost seven months. They usually were scheduled on the same days, and they had a lot of fun. They called it T² Tuesdays when they worked together on that day. Silly, but that’s the kind of fun they had. That is, until Tyler started acting funny.

Trey wasn’t sure what it was, but he could tell Tyler was off. His head and shoulders seemed to droop. He acted and talked like he was distracted. His big belly laughs became few and far between. After noticing this getting worse over a couple of shifts, Trey finally asked Tyler, “Hey, are you alright man? You seem like you’ve been off lately.”

Trey was shocked to see tears welling up in the eyes of Tyler, a normally fun-loving yet tough football player. What he didn’t know was that he was actually the first person to notice and say something to Tyler. Sputtering out words that he seemed to have been holding back for weeks, Tyler said, “Nah man. I’m not. I’m not good right now.”

In a vulnerable moment, Tyler went on to share that he had not been making many good choices lately. He got caught up in drinking and smoking with some friends, and then he got caught doing it, too. He was in big trouble with his parents. He was going to be suspended for the first two games of the next season. And worst of all, among all the people he let down, it hurt to know that he let himself down. Tyler didn’t know what to do or if he could ever forgive himself.

It was definitely a blessing from God that the two had developed a friendship over the last months, because Trey felt comfortable enough to tell Tyler exactly what he needed to hear. He shared some of the verses above from 1 John. Trey reminded Tyler that there is a lot of sinful darkness in the world, and that he too falls into sin. But then he reminded Tyler that Jesus came as the Light of the world to shine brightly in the darkness with his love and forgiveness. What a comfort to know that, “the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” The two were busy at work, so they didn’t have a lot of time to talk. But Trey could tell his words about Jesus and his forgiveness made Tyler feel a little better. He invited him to church to hear more about Jesus.

The joy of knowing that Jesus is alive and that we have peace is the greatest joy of all. What can be better than knowing that not only your worst sins, but all your sins, have been paid for by Jesus! Too few in this world don’t know that message. So be bold and courageous and shine brightly in this world. Let the world know that there is a Savior for our sins, “not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Prayer: Dear Lord, I’m so thankful that you came to save me from my many sins. You have rescued me from the darkness of death and hell. Help me to shine with the brightness of your light and love into this dark world. Use me to spread the good news that you are the Savior of all. Amen.